Artifact Donation Guidelines

The collection of Dallas Heritage Village grows through donations of artifacts from the public. We serve as responsible stewards for objects, furniture, textiles, photographs, books, and documents of historic importance. These donations may be used for studying the past, for creating informative exhibits, and for preserving information about the past for future study.

We may be interested in any potential donations from the time period of 1840 through 1910, particularly if related to local history. Our collection is particularly suited for donations related to everyday domestic life, commercial life, tools and objects for crafts, and for early farm life. We are interested in objects, photographs, and documents of Dallas families, and any photographs or documents about life in Dallas and North Texas between 1840 and 1910.

General Store

Please understand that we cannot accept everything people wish to donate. It is particularly difficult for us to house and care for large items, such as pump organs. If you have something to donate, the Director of Exhibits, Collections and Preservation will evaluate the potential donation by considering whether or not the museum can afford to care for it, has room to store it, and can use it for study or exhibit. In addition, we may be interested in acquiring things we can use in our hands-on educational areas, such as items for our General Store or other antique tools and objects children can use and handle to learn about the past. Such items contribute to our educational mission, though they do not become part of our permanent collection.

To discuss a donation, contact Evelyn Montgomery, Director of Exhibits, Collections and Preservation, 214-413-3666, emontgomery@dallasheritagevillage.org. Please do not drop off donations at the museum for examination without first making an appointment with Dr. Montgomery.

Financial donations to assist us in caring for the collection or purchasing items for specific exhibit areas are always appreciated. To donate, click here and write “collections care” in the comments field.

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Dallas Heritage Village is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and is an institutional member of the Texas Association
of Museums. The Dallas County Heritage Society maintains Dallas Heritage Village which is supported, in part, by the
City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs and the Texas Commission on the Arts.